Anatomy of a Fall, the 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or, snuck into the dazzling lineup in this year’s ongoing French Film Festival, which will run until this Sunday, 3 December, in two SM Cinemas: Megamall and Mall of Asia.
The award-winning courtroom drama-thriller will only have one precious screening: tonight, Friday, 8 p.m. at MoA.
In case you miss this important film, then indulge in other promising French films just for a fraction of the price of a regular movie ticket. The 26th edition of the fest — a partnership between the French Embassy in the Philippines and SM Supermalls and SM Cinema — has curated a set of 2023 French releases and box-office hits, plus a few classics.
France is the birthplace of cinema, and to this day offers its international audience a taste of the country’s auteur and commercial offerings. But if you’re only up to the latest releases, here is a list of 2023 French films you can still catch until Sunday.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Directed by Justine Triet, the 2013 Cannes Best Picture follows a woman (Sandra Huller) who is accused of murdering her husband. Their son, who is blind, faces a major dilemma as the main witness of the crime.
The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan (2023)
This is the first of the two-part adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ 1844 novel. The epic saga is directed by Martin Bourboulon. It stars François Civil, Vincent Cassel and Eva Green.
Daaaaaali! (2023)
Written and directed by Quentin Dupieux, the comedy-drama garnered a perfect 100 percent score at Rotten Tomatoes. It is dubbed a “real fake biopic” of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. The film, which follows a French journalist who meets with Dali for a documentary project, had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
The Taste of Things (2023)
If you’re a hopeless romantic, this one’s for you. Directed by Trần Anh Hùn, who won Best Director at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the historical romantic-drama stars Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel.
Set in 1885, it captures the unfolding romance between a cook and a gourmet. The film is the French entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Bernadette (2023)
Directed by Lea Domenach, the French biographical comedy follows Bernadette Chirac, played by Catherine Deneuve, during the two presidential mandates of her husband, Jacques Chirac (Michel Vuillermoz), and her journey to becoming a major media figure. The film is co-written and directed by Léa Domenach in her directorial debut.
Alibi.com 2 (2023)
If you’re eager for a hilarious experience, go for this — the sequel to the 2017 French blockbuster hit comedy Alibi.com.
The original movie follows a startup company that invents alibis to hide clients’ secret lives. The sequel, directed by Philippe Lacheau, continues the story of the main character, Greg, after he closes his startup, promising to start a new life without lies
— only to resort to reopening his agency to hide his criminal father and porn-star mother from his fiancée as the wedding nears.
As of writing, this sequel is already among the year’s top three films in France with 4.27 million tickets sold ($32 million). The movie is so popular that there are talks of a US remake.
D’Argent et de Sang (2023)
This is the only mini-series showcased in the fest. Directed by Xavier Giannoli, the 12-episode crime-drama series based on a 2018 book tells the story of the 2009 “scam of the century,” when a group of crooks partnered with an upper-class trader to plan an epic swindle — a multi-billion carbon tax fraud. It premiered in Venice this year, in an out-of-competition section.